In this news alert:

MALAYSIA – ESD Foreign Knowledge Worker Projection for 2019 Now Open

Effective 3 December 2019, companies who are registered with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) can start to apply for their 2019 Foreign Knowledge Worker (FKW) projection for Employment Passes and Professional Visit Passes.

How does it work?

Companies who intend to employ foreign nationals in Malaysia in 2019 must have the projection approved before any Employment Pass (EP) or Professional Visit Pass (PVP) applications can be submitted to ESD.

Applications must be made online via the ESD portal with the company’s respective login ID.

The standard processing time for FKW projection is approximately 5-10 working days from the date of submission. This timeline is also subject to follow-up requests for additional information or documents especially if the company submits a high-volume FKW projection for 2019.

Employers should also remember that the current unused balance of their 2018 projection will not be carried forward for 2019.

Action Items

Companies registered with ESD and intending to employ foreign nationals in Malaysia in 2019 should ensure that they provide the required information and documents in support of their projection application as soon as possible, to avoid any delay.